Ahead of a court hearing next week on Douglas County's plan to take a building at 18th and Howard streets through eminent domain, opponents of the plan to build a new juvenile justice center on that space are renewing their fight.

Douglas County commissioner Jim Cavanaugh has expressed opposition to the plan to demolish the building at 18th and Howard, building a tower there and moving juvenile offenders downtown.

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Thursday, at a meeting of the county board's Administrative Services Committee, Cavanaugh gave new details on an alternative plan he has spoken about over the past several months.

"We can do everything that we need to do for the juvenile justice center and youth center better, cheaper and smarter," Cavanaugh said, "by using property we already own, by rehabbing property we already occupy, not taking property by eminent domain and putting the whole thing on the ballot for people to vote on."

More than 30 members of the public attended the meeting Thursday, some expressing support for Cavanaugh's alternate plan.

"I thought that was very reasonable, and I was very proud of Mike Boyle and Jim Cavanaugh for standing up for us who are going to be paying for this," Chris Reisser, a Douglas County resident said.

Bob Perrin, who owns the building in question at 18th and Howard, said he's anxiously awaiting the hearing next week.

"I'm apprehensive about what the judge says in terms of allowing us to keep the building," Perrin said.